Liquid-dispensing system, apparatus and method

Abstract

A liquid-dispensing system includes at least one nozzle configured to dispense a liquid. The liquid-dispensing system includes at least one sensor module, configured to provide a sensor signal comprising information related to whether liquid is dispensed by the at least one nozzle. At least a part of the at least one sensor is located in proximity of the nozzle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid-dispensing system comprising:
 a nozzle configured to dispense a liquid; 
 a sensor configured to provide a sensor signal comprising information related to whether liquid is dispensed by the nozzle, wherein a part of the sensor is located in proximity of the nozzle; 
 an electromagnetic emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation towards a path of falling of liquid dispensed by the nozzle, wherein the sensor is configured to provide the sensor signal based on an influence of dispensed liquid on the electromagnetic radiation; 
 an aperture structure comprising an aperture disposed between the nozzle and the sensor, wherein the aperture is configured to define an angle beam of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter towards the path of the falling of the liquid, and the sensor and the electromagnetic emitter are disposed on opposite sides of the aperture; and 
 a housing comprising:
 a first sub-structure having a cavity extending from a top surface of the housing to a bottom surface of the housing, wherein at least a portion of the nozzle is disposed within the cavity, 
 a second sub-structure comprising the sensor attached to the bottom surface of the housing, and 
 a third sub-structure comprising the aperture structure disposed within at least a portion of a cavity of the second sub-structure. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the aperture comprises at least one pinhole or at least one slit configured to define the angle beam. 
     
     
       3. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to generate the sensor signal based on light received after interacting with the liquid dispensed by the nozzle. 
     
     
       4. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , the aperture structure is further configured to shield the sensor from a part of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter. 
     
     
       5. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 4 , wherein a lateral distance between the aperture structure and the dispensed liquid is less than 2 cm. 
     
     
       6. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 4 , wherein the aperture comprises a minimal width of less than 10 mm and more than 0.4 mm. 
     
     
       7. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to determine the sensor signal based on a refraction of the emitted electromagnetic radiation caused by the dispensed liquid. 
     
     
       8. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic emitter is configured to emit light having a wavelength between 100 nm and 100 μm. 
     
     
       9. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic emitter is configured to emit the electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength, at which more than 30% of a portion of the electromagnetic radiation hitting liquid dispensed by the nozzle passes the liquid dispensed by the nozzle. 
     
     
       10. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter received by the sensor while the liquid is dispensed by the nozzle is at least 10% higher or lower than a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter received by the sensor while no liquid is dispensed by the nozzle. 
     
     
       11. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a nozzle tip that defines a fluid exiting end configured to dispense the liquid, and wherein the nozzle is configured to dispense the liquid on a surface of a semiconductor wafer in a form of a droplet or a stream during processing of the semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
       12. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a plurality of nozzles, the sensor comprises a plurality of sensors corresponding to the plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
       13. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein a lateral distance between the sensor and the liquid dispensed by the nozzle is less than 5 cm. 
     
     
       14. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is chemically resistant against sulfuric acid, nitric acid, or hydrofluoric acid. 
     
     
       15. The liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein a part of the housing located between the electromagnetic emitter or the sensor and a path of falling of the dispensed liquid comprises a semi-transparent material. 
     
     
       16. A semiconductor liquid-dispensing system comprising:
 a plurality of nozzles physically connected to a housing, wherein each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a nozzle tip that defines a fluid exiting end configured to dispense a corresponding liquid, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are configured to dispense the corresponding liquid on a surface of a semiconductor wafer in a form of a droplet or a stream during processing of the semiconductor wafer; and 
 a plurality of sensors corresponding to the plurality of nozzles and physically connected to the housing, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to provide a corresponding sensor signal comprising information related to whether the corresponding liquid is dispensed at its corresponding nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, and wherein the plurality of sensors is located in proximity of the plurality of nozzles; and 
 an aperture structure physically connected to the housing, wherein the aperture structure comprises a plurality of pinholes or slits disposed between the plurality of nozzles and the plurality of sensors; 
 a plurality of electromagnetic emitters configured to emit electromagnetic radiation towards respective paths of falling liquid dispensed by respective nozzles of the plurality of nozzles, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to provide the corresponding sensor signal based on an influence of dispensed liquid on the electromagnetic radiation, each of the plurality of pinholes or slits is configured to define an angle beam of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a respective electromagnetic emitter of the plurality of electromagnetic emitters towards each respective path of the falling of the liquid, and each sensor of the plurality of sensors is located on an opposite side of the plurality of the plurality of pinholes or slits from the plurality of electromagnetic emitters; and 
 the housing comprising:
 a first sub-structure having a cavity extending from a top surface of the housing to a bottom surface of the housing, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of nozzles is disposed within the cavity, 
 a second sub-structure comprising the plurality of sensors attached to the bottom surface of the housing, and 
 a third sub-structure comprising the aperture structure disposed within at least a portion of a cavity of the second sub-structure. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The semiconductor liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 16 , wherein each sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to generate the corresponding sensor signal based on light received after interacting with liquid dispensed by its corresponding nozzle. 
     
     
       18. The semiconductor liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 16 , wherein the aperture structure is configured to shield each sensor from a part of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the plurality of electromagnetic emitters. 
     
     
       19. The semiconductor liquid-dispensing system according to  claim 16 , wherein each sensor is configured to determine the corresponding sensor signal based on a refraction of the emitted electromagnetic radiation caused by the dispensed liquid. 
     
     
       20. A method of operating a semiconductor liquid-dispensing system comprising a nozzle, a sensor configured to provide a sensor signal comprising information related to whether liquid is dispensed by the nozzle, wherein a part of the sensor is located in proximity of the nozzle, an electromagnetic emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation towards a path of falling of liquid dispensed by the nozzle, wherein the sensor is configured to provide the sensor signal based on an influence of dispensed liquid on the electromagnetic radiation, and, an aperture structure comprising an aperture disposed between the nozzle and the sensor, wherein the aperture is configured to define an angle beam of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter towards the path of the falling of the liquid, and the sensor and the electromagnetic emitter are disposed on opposite sides of the aperture, and a housing comprising a first sub-structure having a cavity extending from a top surface of the housing to a bottom surface of the housing, wherein at least a portion of the nozzle is disposed within the cavity, a second sub-structure comprising the sensor attached to the bottom surface of the housing, and a third sub-structure comprising the aperture structure disposed within at least a portion of a cavity of the second sub-structure, the method comprising:
 dispensing a liquid from the nozzle; 
 sensing the dispensed liquid using the sensor; and 
 generating the sensor signal at the sensor based on the sensing.